


Start of Something Good

by peppermintjong



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Crown Prince! Baekhyun, First Meetings, M/M, Sorcerer! Jongin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:14:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26545057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peppermintjong/pseuds/peppermintjong
Summary: Kim Jongin, the greatest sorcerer of the now-conquered South, is given a new assignment in the form of Baekhyun, Crown Prince of the North.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Kim Jongin | Kai
Kudos: 21





	Start of Something Good

**Author's Note:**

> prompt is from [this](https://twitter.com/exoauprompts/status/1304434526081478656?s=20) wonderful prompt tweet!! (i did however change the character i'm sorry sdhdfjgkl)
> 
> as always unbetad so if there's any errors forgive me ><

When The North invaded The South, Jongin’s king was fully confident that even with only one-third of the North’s armed forces, the South would win this war by using all of their magicians. Which, in theory, would work.

But most of the mages and sorcerers were either too young, too old, or completely untrained. Jongin was one of the very few who was privileged enough to harness his powers, rising through the political ranks with his knowledge whilst simultaneously rising in the Coven as quite a prolific sorcerer. It wasn’t until his senior witches could no longer hold a candle to his power that he realised – they were no longer his seniors, they were his _peers_.

And when the time came that the South needed their magic, there was not nearly enough of them to fight back the immense army the North brought down upon them. Jongin fought with all he could, draining his entire body of its energy and power, and he knew the others did the same too. They could only watch from the top spires of the king’s castle as a green sea spilled through the streets, marched through the castle’s gates carrying their own nation’s flag. Jongin could barely keep his eyes open when they had managed to find him, was too weak to put up any fight when they took him as prisoner.

It’s been two months since then. At least Jongin thinks it’s been; it’s hard to tell when you’re being held in a room with no windows. He still practices his magic, as little practice as it may be in a small cell, still works on pulling that magic and holding it within his body, doesn’t let his magical flow go slack whilst he’s kept under lock and key.

“Kim,” the guard says and Jongin extinguishes the light he was throwing between his hands. He stands from where he was seated on his bed as the guard unlocks his door. “The King wants you.”

Jongin swallows nervously. He follows the guard though, not missing the way two more guards flank him as he’s taken through to the North King’s throne room. The double doors are opened with magic, Jongin can feel the pull of it in the air, similar to a static sensation, his fingers tingling with it. The King, for all of his invading, has at least been a decent captor; he’s made sure Jongin has been fed more than decent meals, bathed every day and always made sure he had fresh clothing to change into. He sits rigid in the South King’s throne – barely anything refurbished in the room apart from the colours being changed from the South’s national purple to the emerald green of the North – his hand tapping on the armrest twitchily. Jongin can’t tell if it’s agitation or nerves.

“Kim Jongin,” the King announces once said man is at the foot of the stairs leading to the throne.

“Your Majesty,” he says quietly, though the room is so silent his voice carries easily to the King, who smiles warmly at the title.

“I hear you are the most powerful sorcerer this kingdom has to offer,” the King says, the hand not still tapping on the armrest coming up to stroke his short beard. Jongin feels his heart plummet to the bottom of his stomach.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Jongin begins, clearing his throat. “I still have a lot to learn.”

The King grins at him. “Now this is no time to be so modest Kim,” he says with an amused lilt to his voice. “I saw what you did to my army. Decimated almost a third of my men with your magic alone.”  
  


Jongin swallows, feeling like he might vomit. “I didn’t even realise…”

“Anyway, I would love if you accept this new position I have found for you,” the King says and Jongin cannot tell if he’s being genuine or not. The North King is notoriously hard to read.

The King says nothing for the longest time until Jongin realises he is waiting for Jongin to accept. “Of course Your Majesty,” he says stiltedly. The King’s grin widens, incredibly pleased at Jongin’s compliance, and waves his hand in signal for the guards.

“Wonderful! Please show Kim to his new quarters,” he says rather dismissively, instantly disinterested in the sorcerer before him now he has what he wants.

Jongin follows when the guards prompt him to leave, suppressing the petty urge to flick the King in his throne across the room, instead inhales deeply to calm himself. He’s not sure what he’s just agreed to and he has to prepare himself for the absolute worst. Though the King seems to think somewhat highly of Jongin so it can’t be too bad; he’s also not going back to his cell and that is far more tempting than Jongin ever thought it would be.

He’s led through the castle to a wing he never imagined he would be brought to – the East Wing, which, if it is still used the same as when the Southern King was occupying the castle, is for the King’s family.

The spiral staircase seems longer the more nervous he feels, each dull _thud, thud, thud_ of his feet on each stair like the sound of his fate being sealed. The guards are more cautious too once they reach the top landing, glances more frequent and hands tighter on the hilts of their swords, almost as if they are afraid Jongin might now try to escape or attempt to kill his way out of his situation. If he’s perfectly honest he’s already thought of three different ways of fleeing, but he knows the end to each scenario would be him dead or captured just to be killed as a traitor of the crown.

The windows on this floor are enormous, sunlight pouring inside in large pools to warm Jongin’s skin. It feels amazing and he didn’t realise how much he had missed the sun’s touch until now, basking in the feeling as he passes through each one walking down the long hallway. There’s a guard at the end of the hall who announces their approach, and another two guards open the doors for Jongin. The room beyond is huge, almost ridiculously so, and there’s a large ornate bed situated right in the centre, complete with gossamer curtains that obscure the figure currently sitting on the edge of the mattress. It stands up once Jongin is guided inside the room, the doors echoing as they are closed behind him, and the figure parts the curtains to meet Jongin.

It’s a young man and – _shit_ , this is the _Northern Prince_.

“Kim Jongin I assume,” the prince says once they’re only a couple of metres away from each other. He looks drained, purple beneath his eyes and a slight slump in his shoulders that he shakes off in what Jongin assumes is a show of confidence. Jongin understands why; this man’s father just took over Jongin’s homeland, there’s no time to show any weakness.

“I am Your Majesty,” he says with a slight bow of his head. The prince waves him off.

“Just Baekhyun will do when we’re by ourselves,” he says, looking Jongin up and down with a calculating eye. “I put forward your name because I heard you were the most powerful mage in your kingdom. You’re younger than I thought you would be. Pray how old are you Master Kim?”

“I am nearing twenty-seven Prince Baekhyun,” Jongin answers in a sceptical tone. “And I would not say the most powerful. Forgive me, but I was not informed as to what I am to be doing here?”

The prince fidgets on the spot, something that does not go unnoticed by Jongin and it puts Jongin on edge instantly. “Well,” Baekhyun says on a huff of air. “For lack of a better term, you will be my personal… uh…”

“Guard?” Jongin asks hopefully but the look on the prince’s face crushes that hope to dust.

Baekhyun squares his shoulders, taking a deep breath in as he composes himself. “You will be my personal servant effective immediately.”

Jongin can only stare the prince down, dumfounded. “Y–you chose me personally? To be a servant?” he blurts out, tacking on a hurried, “Prince.”

“I chose you specifically for your skillset,” Baekhyun answers. “I – I need…help.”

Jongin’s head is spinning. “Help with what Your Majesty?”

“Honing my own skills,” he says in a lower voice, leaning in as if there were anyone around that might possibly be eavesdropping on their conversation. Jongin merely stares blankly, uncomprehending. “With…magic.”

“Wasn’t magic banned in the North?” Jongin asks, remembering his textbooks saying as much when he was just beginning his studying. Prince Baekhyun nods, biting his lip.

“There was no one to teach me in the North so my father –”

“Invaded another kingdom?” Jongin says, horrified. The reason his entire country has fallen is because this juvenile prince needed someone to teach him about magic?

“It sounds terrible when you put it as such, but essentially yes,” Baekhyun says with a frown. “No one is supposed to inherit magic in the North, it’s unheard of. But I…I did. It was easy at first to hide it but after a while it became…volatile.”

Jongin nods, still dumbfounded but more understanding. If left unchecked, magic can kill its host, its power consuming if it is not harnessed. He’s seen countless people die because their magic splits the sky open and strikes the person with lightning, or crushes them into the earth beneath them, even simply drains them of their life too early.

“Magic does that,” Jongin eventually says, voice softened. “I can help you.”

The relief is visible on Baekhyun’s face, a grin blooming. “Thank you,” he breathes out with genuine sincerity. Jongin wonders what Baekhyun had done in the North that was worth invading another kingdom purely for the Crown Prince to control his power. “I will not need you specifically as a servant. It will only be a pretence whilst we’re in public. But I will need you for most of the days so I have arranged for your quarters to be just through there –” he pauses to point behind him, to a closed door beyond his large bed “–until I have full control of my magic.”

The way Baekhyun almost spits out the word…it’s as if he is repulsed by his given gifts. “Magic is not something to be feared,” Jongin says with a slight tilt of his head, scrutinising the prince before him. There’s something burning in Baekhyun’s eyes, a determination, that Jongin remembers feeling when he promised himself he would master his magic. “It’s good to be aware of it, but it is precious and wonderful once it is under your control.”

Prince Baekhyun seems taken aback, though Jongin supposes no one has even spoken about sorcery the way he has. “I…I trust you Kim Jongin,” he says with a hint of a smile. “Please take care of me.”

“Of course Your Majesty,” Jongin says.

“Just Baekhyun, remember?” he says and his smile is just shy of mischievous, like the two are sharing a secret.

“Alright Baekhyun. We’ll start your training tomorrow morning. Make sure you get plenty of rest tonight.”

“As you wish Jongin,” Baekhyun says, slowly retreating to another door on the opposite side of his chambers. “You may rest in your quarters Master Kim if you desire.”

“Thank you.” Jongin hesitates, but ultimately says, “And it’s just Jongin, too.”

Baekhyun turns from where he’s opened the door, a ghost of a smirk on his mouth. “I look forward to working with you, Jongin.”

**Author's Note:**

> it has been SO LONG since i have written something ;; i haven't written in at least two months. i have had a lot of shit happen in the past few months (as i'm sure everyone else has) and it's been a real struggle. i tried and tried to push myself to write and it's not been until maybe last week that i started writing some stuff without it a major block. it's been daunting trying to dip back into my unfinished fics so i started with this lil baby! a nice easy dipping-my-toe back into writing without having any burden of more than 2k of words hahahaha
> 
> anyways i hope whoever is reading this is doing well, and that you have a wonderful day or night. hopefully this inspiration doesn't elude me like it has this enitre year basically >w<


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